Dacoits robbed a maxi cab carrying 10 Mizos including an  aged cancer patient, on the national highway near Lumsnong in Meghalaya and abducted a   young man demanding Rs. 10 lakh ransom for his release.

Police said that the robbery  took place at a place 10 km from Sonapur towards Shillong and the robbers armed with     local-made pistols and kukris decamped with the abducted person K. Lalengzama (22) of Laipuitlang locality in Aizawl. They also forcibly took away Rs 15,770  in cash, one gold ring, one gold necklace and six video CD players from the passengers, the police said.

Victims of the robbery said the dacoits after committing the  robbery left for an unknown destination taking Lalengzama  along with them and telling the stranded passengers that he would be released only if his   family members paid Rs 10 lakh within five days. They said that  they would contact his parents, but K Thanpara, father of the abducted person, said that the abductors had not contacted him. Mizoram and Meghalaya police launched a massive joint operation to nab the dacoits.

Abductors released a 22-year-old youth, who had volunteered to be in their captivity when the gang threatened to take one of the 10 passengers travelling in a car on September 3, on the highway at a spot between Aizawl and Guwahati, police said.

The youth, K Lalengzama, was spotted by police at Badarpur railway station near Silchar in Assam and brought to Aizawl later, police said adding the abductors also telephoned Lalengzama’s parents to inform them about his release. Lalengzama was taken to a  place in either Karimganj or Hailakandi districts by the  abductors who had demanded a ransom of Rs 10 lakh for his release.

Police claimed that no ransom money was paid. “Because the gang was aware that all their particulars were known to the police”. Ten passengers, including the driver of the car, plying between Aizawl and Guwahati, were robbed by a six-member dacoit gang at a place near Lumsnong village on the highway, in the early hours of September 3.